The gray bead entered his brain, then fell silent for a time.
"What's going on? A gray bead-don't tell me it's the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger!"
Lu Yu's heart tightened. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was a Soul Beast among the absolute best of the best. Its standing among Soul Beasts was equivalent to that of the Holy Angel with its innate rank twenty among Martial Souls-an existence that defied the heavens.
The bead itself was a treasure. Swallow it, and you immediately received an innate rank-twenty Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Martial Soul, along with a tiny bit of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's memories and thought processes.
Put plainly, it was possession. Until the spiritual power attached to it was exhausted, anyone it touched would die instantly.
As for counting on Tian Meng to help, it would be good enough if that useless, stinking maggot didn't get whipped around like a spinning top by the Evil God Tiger. If he really encountered it, he would immediately teleport away with Huo Yutong, leaving only Lu Yu and Tang Ya to await their deaths.
"Has heaven's will made its move? I'm just walking down the road, and it suddenly hits me with a lightning-fast possession?"
Lu Yu began thinking of countermeasures. This was like someone winning five million in the lottery, only to be walking along the sidewalk when a lightning-fast truck suddenly rammed them into Warhammer to enjoy the good life. Who could take that?
Just then, an aged voice rang out in his mind.
"Do not be afraid, young friend. I am merely borrowing your fine abode to rest and recover for a while."
An expert of the senior realm? Was the Douluo Continent about to welcome its own Elder Yao?
Lu Yu cupped his hands. "May I ask your honored name, senior?"
"I hardly qualify as a senior. I am merely a wisp of divine consciousness."
Incredible. Merely a wisp of divine consciousness. Truly, invisible flexing was the deadliest kind.
"I do not belong to this world. I am nothing more than a remnant soul clinging to life from another world, drawn here by the energy fluctuations produced when that large worm merged with the girl."
"I originally intended to reside in that girl's Sea of Consciousness, but I discovered that this knife of yours was a more suitable dwelling. You don't mind if I help dispel the curse on it, do you?"
"I get what you mean. A fine bird chooses a worthy tree to roost in. Hurry up and dispel the curse. I can't wait to embrace the Gold of Life."
"Hehe, it seems you are a young friend who knows a treasure when he sees one."
Lu Yu's eyes turned gray, and his entire body slipped out of his control.
Forcibly taking control of my body, and you still say this isn't possession? Damn undead!
The gray elder controlled Lu Yu's body and opened the box, revealing the ancient-looking, pitch-black carving knife within.
Then he pointed, sending a mass of gray spiritual power surging toward the carving knife.
The previously quiet carving knife immediately billowed thick black smoke. Within the smoke, a face resembling The Scream howled hideously.
"Using the vitality of the Gold of Life to sustain a curse. What a waste of heaven's gifts."
The gray-white mass of spiritual power immediately turned into white light, which exuded a sacred aura.
The black smoke vanished like snow meeting molten lava.
The pitch-black carving knife also transformed, revealing its original form: a crystal carving knife resembling green jade.
A small gray-black orb immediately surged into the carving knife as well.
"There. With the Gold of Life sustaining me, my soul no longer needs to sleep to recover its strength."
There was a little more vitality in the elder's voice.
"Young friend, I will help merge the Gold of Mind into your body. Which part would you like to merge it into?"
"Honored senior, please merge it into my head to expand my Sea of Consciousness. Spiritual power is a little more important."
If Lu Yu's Soul Rings could not increase in age as his body improved, he would decisively have merged it into his heart to strengthen his constitution and raise the age of Soul Rings his body could withstand, pursuing an early-game strategy.
But now that his Soul Rings could increase in age on their own, he needed to pursue a higher ceiling by improving his spiritual power.
"Very well. Just place the Gold of Life against your forehead. Leave the rest to me."
Lu Yu did as instructed, pressing the Gold of Life against his forehead. Guided by the gray elder's spiritual power, the Gold of Life abruptly changed its angle.
Instead of its flat side resting against his forehead, its blade now pointed at it.
You old geezer, what are you doing?!
The Gold of Life suddenly stabbed into Lu Yu's forehead, leaving a bloody wound. Lu Yu felt as though a carving knife had pierced his brain.
Not "as though." It really had pierced him.
The next instant, Lu Yu appeared inside a pure-white space. The sky of this space had already split open, and his brain hurt terribly.
Lu Yu immediately understood that this was his Sea of Consciousness. Now it had cracked open, and the fractured Sea of Consciousness would shatter completely, turning him into an idiot.
Before Lu Yu could grow anxious, a powerful golden sphere of light appeared and enveloped his entire Sea of Consciousness. Rather than dissipating, the fractured Sea of Consciousness kept expanding within the sphere's embrace.
Twice, three times, four times, seven times its original size!
As his Sea of Consciousness expanded, a warm current of life also flowed into Lu Yu's body, and his physical strength began to increase.
Two yellow Soul Rings appeared before Lu Yu. Purple gradually emerged within them until they turned completely purple.
Their age was two thousand years.
Compared with the enormous increase in his spiritual power, the improvement in his physical constitution was relatively small, amounting to an increase of only about twelve hundred years in the age he could withstand.
As his physical constitution strengthened, the expansion of his Sea of Consciousness gradually finished, and the torn sections began repairing themselves.
Enormous beads of sweat rolled down Lu Yu's forehead.
It hurts. It hurts so much! Games in his previous life had always reduced pain sensations. Across two lifetimes, this was his first experience of having his skull opened. No wonder Chancellor Cao had Hua Tuo executed.
Fortunately, he forced himself to endure it without making a sound!
"Young friend, I never imagined your will would be so firm. To endure such pain without a single sound is truly rare in this world."
The gray-robed elder spoke from beside him.
"Hmph. Their will to grow stronger simply isn't firm enough. For a little power, what does mere pain amount to?"
This is all effort and sweat. If suffering can make me stronger, then let the storm rage even harder.
"Your purpose is certainly firm, young friend. I have finished purifying this carving knife for you. Although it now resides within your Sea of Consciousness, you may take it out and use it whenever you wish."
"Not only can you control it to bestow vitality on others or heal yourself, but you can also use it to strip others of their vitality."
"As for its name, let us call it the Blade of Life's Watch."
"Might you allow me to lodge within it, young friend?"
"Oh, senior, why be so polite with me? Without you, who knows how many years it would have taken before I could use such a large piece of Gold of Life?"
"Forget lodging in it-even giving you all... ah, no, giving you two-thirds... giving you half would be no problem."
Lu Yu spoke with some heartache.
"Of course, senior, if your soul is about to dissipate, I'm not someone who would stand by and watch you die. Giving you a little more would be fine."
"You certainly are openhanded." The elder smiled. "Stop aching over it. Why would I covet your fortunate opportunity, young friend?"
"Senior, you know how precious the Gold of Life is too. I can't help feeling the pinch. How should I address you?"
"Although the Gold of Life has stabilized my soul, my specific memories will still need time to recover. Of course, since I am staying here with you temporarily, if there are any small matters you need help with, do not stand on ceremony. Feel free to ask me."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, senior. I rather like power. Would you be willing to take me as your disciple and pass on some abilities? Even being an outer disciple would be fine."
Since the senior had told him not to stand on ceremony, Lu Yu promptly sent the snake climbing up the offered pole. He wondered what rank of god this mighty figure before him was.
"Hahaha." The gray-robed elder laughed heartily. "You truly are straightforward. Since you wish to study under me, as long as there is nothing wrong with your character, I will naturally teach you everything I know."
"It is just that what I know consists of Undead Magic and Soul Magic, if you do not mind."
"I don't mind, I don't mind. Teacher, your magic carries a sacred aura of its own. How could I mind?"
Of course, even if it were evil Undead Magic, he would not mind as long as it did not affect his mental state. Besides, the other party had just said magic!
Lu Yu had also visited the Divine Realm in the game. According to the background introduction, the Divine Realm governed various lower worlds, which contained all sorts of power systems.
"Douluo Continent" had also added DLC from other worlds, but within the Douluo Continent, the contents of those DLC packs became various Martial Souls and Soul Beasts.
"In that case, I will accept you as my disciple. However, too much of my memory is missing at present. Once I recover some memories within the Gold of Life, I will teach you."
"Of course. It won't be too late to teach me once you've recovered, Teacher."
Within his Sea of Consciousness, Elder Yi's voice vanished. Lu Yu could sense that he was tucked away inside the Gold of Life and could be contacted whenever needed.
His consciousness emerged from his Sea of Consciousness, and Lu Yu looked around. Tang Ya lay motionless on the ground, face down. Young people really did sleep well.
He looked over at his dear disciple. Huo Yutong was bleeding from all seven orifices, but her steady aura indicated that she had finished absorbing her Soul Ring.
"All right, million-year Spirit Eyes Soul Ring, here I come."
Lu Yu immediately leaped over and began absorbing the updated Spirit Eyes Martial Soul fragments.
Before you continue